Taka's journey to freedom

savingholmes

Food is my biggest spending challenge too....

taka

I think just being a bit more organised would help me no end! I do big shops (mostly when Dad needs help with his as he can't carry it all - we go every 2-3 weeks.) Otherwise I mostly just pick stuff up as and when. Unfortunately as Dad's health isn't great sometimes the big shops get cancelled, like today. For once I'd actually done a meal plan for next week but I had to redo it!

Must remember to take some of that couscous into work for lunch tomorrow! :rotfl:

teapot2

I too have a couscous mountain to work through and I don't even like it very much . I tend to do a tray of roast veg and mix that in with couscous and it lasts a few days in the fridge.

taka

Another few OPs over the last week or so... a bit of found change, £2 coins in my shopping, co-op points used (and the money I would have used OP'd instead) and assorted interest from transferring/closing a few current / savings / cash ISA accounts around to improve interest rates. (£347.71 in all)

This will reduce my outstanding mortgage to £5546.36 by the end of the month and will knock a further 6 months off the term when it is next recalculated. :j Interest is now down 3p a day since the start of Aug to just under 42p per day.

I also got a letter giving me notice I'm at risk of redundancy again. (I'm on a fixed term contract so no big surprise.) In theory we have funding for me for 2019 and 2020 but we need the major grant we are attached to successfully get renewed before they'll renew my contract. Nothing I can do but wait (and periodically prod my boss to chase up any updates!) :cool: Somehow although I know it should be ok, it still makes me feel kinda crappy. Much as I enjoy my job I hate the lack of job security.

Looking forwards to being off work next week. Mostly as I'll not need to commute to work and have to navigate the craziness that is my city in Aug and the consequent chaos it causes to the normally good bus system. The bus timetables should be star attractions at the book festival as they are certainly a work of fiction at the moment! :doh: Some of the passengers do add to the entertainment at this time of year though! Yesterday (on different buses) I shared the bus with a Mad hatter (with unicycle - it had a puncture apparently ), a pirate (complete with toy "polly" on her shoulder) and someone with a 4 foot inflatable giraffe! :rotfl:

beanielou

I would also hate the uncertainty

taka

beanielou wrote: »

I would also hate the uncertainty

Yeah it isn't the best.

Bus journey home today was most boring. Absolutely no-one in silly costumes. :rotfl:

taka

Wow it has been a while since I posted on here...

It has been a strange last 11 months - Dad sadly got increasingly unwell and spent much of his time in hospital. In late april the decision was made for his dialysis to stop and the hospital allowed my brother and I to be there for his last days (albeit with masks on etc). We were both there when he passed away in May.

Lockdown has therefore been a time of change for me. I was initially working from home but as I'm mostly lab based I ended up being furloughed. It has given me time to begin getting Dad's affairs sorted but that has stalled now as I can't move things on much further until we come out of lockdown a bit more (I'm in Scotland so lockdown is easing relatively slowly). My work building will reopen to more people from next week but I've not heard yet if I will be back then or still on furlough for a little longer (there will be limited numbers returning). Will chase my boss on Monday - he is semiretired (and over 70) and has been rather elusive recently!

In good news my brother and SIL have had a gorgeous baby boy during lockdown. I finally got to hold him for the 1st time yesterday... soooo lovely even if he did try to vomit on me!

Right back to money... I have somewhere around £115 left to go on my mortgage!   Interest is now less than 1p per day! I need that jumping smiley (from the old forum) here! It may be necessary to borrow back the overpayment reserve on my mortgage so am not rushing to OP the last bit. Hopefully things will become clearer in the next month or 2 once Dad's house and my brother's flat have been valued (& poss mine too). We may end up playing musical properties if the numbers add up for everyone...

Oh and I've finally got round to adding a profile pic - wild flowers near my work lasy year. It has only taken 13 years (!!!) here to finally add one!

beanielou

So sorry to read about your dad.
Take care of you 

teapot2

That sounds like its been a mixed time, sorry to hear about your Dad but good to be able to finally hug a new nephew.  Well done on the mortgage balance - fab